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Jobs, Traffic Key To NFL Stadium Impact On Downtown LA

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — City planners on Thursday began their review of an environmental impact report for the proposed NFL stadium in downtown Los Angeles.

KNX 1070's Jon Baird reports the City Council committee meeting drew both politicians and construction workers alike.

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The project, which would include a 72,000-seat football stadium and a brand new Convention Center hall, could bring even more traffic and noise to the downtown area.

State Senator Curran Price told the commission it would bring in 30,000 temporary and permanent jobs along with $400 million in tax revenues.

"I urge you to support this project so that we can keep Los Angeles as the entertainment capital of the world," said Price.

Officials with the city Planning Commission have estimated that the stadium could attract an additional 19,000 new car trips to downtown on game days — a possibility that Councilmember Jan Perry said must be taken into consideration.

"I think the key to success on this project will be creating so many incentives to people to come in and out of the area on public transportation so that it becomes this very pleasant, fun experience, and not a nightmare and gridlock," said Perry.

The overall plan includes adding a bike lane and dropping a traffic lane along Figueroa, as well as spending $10 million in improvements to Pico Metro Station that would include a second platform.

The project would even have something for animal lovers: a dog park near Staples Center at the corner of Chick Hearn Court and Figueroa.

AEG, the developer behind the proposed Farmers Field, said the complex would cost an estimated $1.5 billion and would likely be completed by 2016.

However, while billionaire developer Phillip Anschutz has signaled plans to buy an NFL team to bring football back to Los Angeles, no deal has been finalized.

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